Voyaging

A megayacht adventure in the Bahamas' Exuma chain of islands Page 2

Unlike a dinner party where guests can get themselves home, being at anchor creates a new set of challenges. So the chaotic ballet began again, with tenders shuttling guests back to their boats and ultimately their beds.

Starting at 7 a.m. for an offshore fishing excursion, the next day was the busiest yet. Tuscan Sun’s tender was loaded up with bait, gear, and passengers from the more formal Big City and At Last and was scheduled to rendezvous back with the mother yacht at Staniel Cay. We set off and were instructed by Tuscan Sun’s first mate Simon Kitto to look for flocks of birds that indicate fish.

There were no birds.

There was nothing but that same turquoise water until we saw three fins. Our failed fishing trip instantly turned into a far more successful whale-watching adventure. We idled to see if the pilot whales would come and play, but after a quick investigation of the drifting boat, which brought them almost within touching distance, the three swam away.

Photo by Jim Raycroft

The sunsets in the Bahamas never get old

With a boatload of people, the 32-foot Intrepid weaved through isles until we rejoined Tuscan Sun at Sandy Cay. We just had time for a quick Mexican egg-scramble breakfast before heading out for a scuba dive. (Old wives’ tales be damned, it may have been less than an hour between eating and swimming.)

Photo by Jim Raycroft

Morning omlets on Tuscan Sun were the perfect way to start the day.

The cruise to the dive site allowed time for my nerves to act up. It would be my first open-water dive, and though I felt comfortable under Capt. Gui’s trained eye, leaving the calm of a pool for the crashing waves and eels of an actual ocean was a bit intimidating. But once underwater, the threat of waves (though not eels) was eliminated, and I was able to enjoy the sensation of breathing underwater and the muted colors of the coral forest.

Despite being on a cruise through the Bahamas, we still had a schedule to keep and were, in fact, already late to the beach barbecue. The crews and chefs had put together a feast of epic proportions, but we weren’t there long before the call went out that it was low tide at Thunderball Cave. We had to hustle to reenact scenes from the classic James Bond flick.